13 June2010

Wet start to the day, becoming brighter with sunny intervals, very little wind of note possibly from the north west, temp 15c which was much warmer than yesterday morning, was at Westport from 05.35 - 08.35.

First of all no sign at all of the Marbled Duck we had a good look around all pools and lakes (twice) and couldn't find it anywhere, quite a few young Woodpigeons were feeding on the playing field, on the main lake two female Mallards seemed to be bringing up 15 ducklings between them it was impossible to separate which young was with which parent, the young Canada Geese were on the car park all together there was 40, 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew through, and a group of 4 Greylag Geese flew over giving a total of 7 today, 2 Grey Herons were on the boating lake one was a juvenile, the pair of Great Crested Grebes are still feeding 3 young on here and at least 12 were on the main lake, 3 young Moorhens were on the small pool on the old gas works, on the main lake a total of 31 Mute Swans, we managed to get a couple of ring numbers to pass on, 2 Little Ringed Plovers were on the grass verge early but flew north when flushed.
Tufted Duck numbers have dropped to 6 all males except for a single female, along the 'Avenue I had 3 Blackcaps and a single in the Nature Reserve, a single Chiffchaff continues to sing in the Nature Reserve and one was by the old gas works and one on the old sewage works, 2 Jackdaws flew over the main lake calling as they headed south, 2 Coal Tits were by the sidings, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling in the Nature Reserve and poss the same with another later on flew across the playing field, 'Sammy' Shoveler continues to spend time on the bottom pool in the Nature Reserve and a Whitethroat was still singing here with young Whitethroats also seen on the old gas works and another 3-4 on the old sewage works, at least 3 Reed Warblers at the top pool with a Reed Bunting calling from near here, 2 Stock Doves on the old gas works and again a probable pair of Linnets flew across and onto the old sewage works, a Kestrel was hunting over here and unusually a single Willow Tit in the willows.

Total species seen 44.